Since the news, Ayako had become like a doll, sitting still in the darkness. Her mind was in conflict. How had Mai progressed so much and not told anyone? She's fighting all alone. What can I do? Why didn't Mai tell me?
Bou-san knocked on the door feeling awkward. It worried him that Lin would go through the trouble of contacting him outside office hours about something un-SPR related. All the more when he said Ayako was in shock over some news. Bou-san didn't even manage to ask what it was before Lin hung up on him. So here he was, after band practise, at her apartment. He knocked again; still no answer. Not even a sound of clothes moving. He tried the door knob; to his surprise it willingly opened, allowing him access to her home.
The place was dark. He patted around the walls for the light switch while calling to Ayako. When his only reply was sniffles in the dark, he hastens to find the light switch. He finally switched the lights on, he could make out Ayako's figure in the living room area. Cautiously he made his way to her, as he crouched down near her she leapt into his arm and let forth a new wave of tears. Bou-san could do nothing but hold her in his arms and whisper cooing words to calm her.
Ayako had been sitting there for 2 hours before Bou-san arrived; her eyes red and swollen. As she calmed, Bou-san left to make her a cup of tea. Ayako didn't touch the tea. Instead as he set it down on the coffee table, Ayako began telling a little story of how she when she was child she wanted to become a princess and have a knight always there for her, to hold her when she's cold, tired, scared and there to tell her he loved her. How she wanted a fairytale like life that was consistent and stable. Not like how it was, where she and her siblings were neglected, when plans with papa was cancelled because of a sudden emergency.
"I wonder what sorts of thing Mai wished for when she was younger." Ayako can feel tears welling up again but she refused to let them fall. Bou-san was rather confused why Ayako was suddenly so…defenceless, telling him things about her past. Also he worried how Mai fitted into the story. It doesn't take a genius to work out Ayako was crying over something that concerned Mai. Should I pry? Or will she tell me? A low grumbling came from his stomach. Ayako gave a small smile of relief from the tension. "What would you like to eat? I'm not a good cook but I've got a bunch of menus." As she said that she pulled out a pile of menus from the draw in the coffee table.
"How about I cook? I'm pretty handy in the kitchen." He gave a boyish grin. Homemade food would make anyone feel better.
After dinner they sat down looking out the balcony window. The city was practically emitting life. It began to rain. They just sat there watching the rain fall. It was a comfortable silence between them. She rested and calmed in Bou-san's embrace, while he sat there waiting patiently until she would tell him. But he dreaded to her what has made her this upset.
"Mai's not well…" Ayako tensed and continued shakily "She's in the advanced-stage of Lymphoma." The wind blew the rain harshly against the glass. "She needs a bone marrow transplant. She needs to receive the bone marrow from someone else. Approximately 30% of people who receives bone marrow from someone else…" she trails off. Bou-san didn't even try to hold back his tears. She had lost weight recently and when bugged her about it, she brushed him off saying that she was dieting for the summer. He didn't think much about it at the time but now…now that he knows the real reason he just couldn't stop the tears. Mai, who's like a daughter to him, might disappear from their little SPR family.